Best feed for fatty

[dilbert]

Chubby pony currently gets top spec lite to make sure he gets all the vits he needs (he's barefoot). He also gets 10lbs of hay overnight when stabled and some hay in the field in the day at the mo as its very icy.

Is this the best way of getting the correct minerals and vits into him or is there an even lower calorie way of doing it?

He needs to lose a lot of weight before spring

his workload should be going up soon and hopefully will be on grass livery shortly too in a hilly field which might help.

 

[maybedaisy]

I feed my good doer Dengie good doer chop with Naf Slimline supplement. I soak all her hay so she gets the chewing time but not the calories and I don't over rug her so she uses energy to keep warm.

My mare could get fat in a car park.

 

[hudsonw]

Happy hoof is good for fatties...It's got loads of vits and mins and you can feed it instead/alongside hay. It smells nice and has fiber nuts in it which my horse loves. Depending on his size you can feed up to 3kg a day!!!!
Soak your hay for 12hrs and you can feed him more but it will have less proteins but still has the fiber.
Like Maybedaisy said use a rug but a lighter rug so you are still protecting him from the elements but he's burning his fat and using his fury coat to keep warm. Unless he's clipped!?!
Try to avoid turning out on a frost as the grass stores the sugars which of course can lead to Laminitis in fat ponies.
Don't starve him or cut down his food too fast as that can lead to further problems in the future.
Good Luck and Merry Christmas.

 

[SO1]

I feed my good doer pony who is on grass livery allen and page slim and healthy and dengie good doer. The dengie good doer is the lowest DE chaff I can find!

DE is what you need to look for on bags of horse food - lower the better.

 

[teddyt]

Soak the hay for at least an hour but give plenty of it. If you have soaked the hay there will be no energy left for weight gain but the gut will have someting to digest. Long periods without food and/or starvation are counterproductive because the horses metabolism changes and the body holds on to fat more because it thinks its being starved.

I wouldnt feed any hard feed, just a mineral block. Rockies chelated one is best, its big but will last ages.

Minimal rugging is vital. At the most a lightweight no fill turnout when its wet but nothing when its dry, even if freezing. The horse will then use its fat reserves to keep warm.

Active walking and trotting is the best way to burn fat when riding.

 

[hellybelly6]

fast fibre is a complete feed and can be fed on its own with just hay.

I would soak the hay before feeding to reduce the calories and increase exercise fast walking is a great fat burner.

Also as previously recommended, go down a weight or two with rugs (unless clipped). Keep the worst of the weather off, but at the same time burning fat to keep warm.